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When you read translation blogs, especially advice from more experienced translators to their less experienced colleagues, the most popular topics are: setting your rates and keeping them, defining your fields of specialization, working on your quality, productivity and marketing. But I think there's one more thing we need to think about from the very first days as translators: topics that we won't cover, no matter how much money we are offered for our services.

Those things differ from person to person. What you will or won't do really depends on your personality, views, religion, life experience and a lot of other factors.
I don't translate texts that promote any occult practices, pornography, abortions, prostitution, smoking, drinking or any illegal actions. Please don't think that I am trying to impose my views on you! I don't work with such texts because of who I am and my priorities. My goal is helping people with my work, not doing them any harm.
If you…

With the New Year rapidly approaching, I am starting to analyze this past year. In fact, I've been analyzing all the changes in my life since 2007. And I am learning to value the Lord's timing, His guidance and support while He has continuously been pushing me out of my comfort zone.
I started working in the church while I was still a student and I never wanted to look for a different job, or a different position. Even when I realized that changes were necessary I did not welcome them. Partly, this was because I loved my work in the church. I made a lot of friends, I had a chance to develop the skills that could otherwise remain hidden, plus I had a privilege of serving the Lord and helping people in Vladimir and its suburbs, and even people from other countries. Thankfully, the latter point applies to my life now as well, otherwise I'd have to admit that I made a huge mistake ;)

Hi! How are you? I hope you've had a good week and are ready for a new blog post which is actually not going to be about translation. It is going to be about learning foreign languages.Please meet Aaron G Myers, the Author of "The Everyday Language Learner's Guide To Sustaining". If you click here his website will open in a new window. He contacted me this week through Twitter and gave me a link to his Guide which you can find here. I followed the link and as I began reading I realized how special this little booklet really is.

Last year I wrote a post about advantages and disadvantages of being a freelancer. Now, as I am sitting by my daughter watching her sleeping and finishing another urgent assignment, I realized how blessed I really am. I can see how she's growing. I can spend time with her. I can take her home from the kindergarten right after lunch, not in the evening like most parents do. Every day we read or do some maths to prepare her for primary school. We can go outside and play in the first snow. We can watch her favourite cartoons together. All while people with 'normal' jobs are still at work. To me, this is the greatest advantage of being a freelancer. Yes, there are deadlines, taxes and Russian laws which are hard to figure out without some legal help, and sometimes I am not sure whether I'll be able to pay all the bills (but our awesome, amazing Lord helps us every single time), and I am working twice as much as I would work in any office now as I am trying to build a team…

Hi! How are you?
I hope you are doing great and enjoying the blessings of this wonderful season. Autumn is a wonderful time of the year.
In February, I wrote a blog post about having little work. Today I'd like to share my recent lessons about having a lot of work. Pretty much all throughout October I was literally swamped in work. So I'd like to share some things I've learned throughout this month.